SIERRA DE AITANA TREK

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

First day ( Sunday pm ) of arrival walking around El Castell de Guadalest after tapas, close our first hotel and seeing the landscape of walks ahead, and feeling the warm sun after the wet, wintry and cold of the UK.
Mid week walk from Benimantell guesthouse to next stay at Sella, and walking over Aitana, 1558 m , highest point of the week, and walking through a gap in the rocks from one valley to the other.
Walk up Puig Campana 1408m , mountain that backdrops Benidorm, challenging , would class as the C walk, rest all B, was windy on our day, but dry and sunny, did not quite make the top due to conditions, zig zagging up scree slope challenging but expertly lead.

What did you think of your group leader?

Jose Miguel an excellent guide , locally based in Sella, with a great backup team of local drivers, all working in the local community of Sella, your base for second half of week. Spoke excellent English, knows the area very well, excellent mountain guide, discussed topics of interest along the way, regularly checked group for level of happiness, made some warping 3 layered sandwiches for the lunches. Helps with the options for your free day. A TV star as was shown a DVD of him with Cameron McNeish in the area for a BBC TV Adventure programme.
A big plus for this tour, being lead by a local man.

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

Ideal for regular hikers, anyone who can do Snowdon will find it ok. Definitely bring a walking pole or 2. And drinking water bottles, thirsty work in the warm sun. The almond blossom week went on added some pretty colour to the arid landscape.
Free day options , I went to the coast, beautiful sandy bay of a Spanish resort of La Villa Joyiasa, colourful houses, quieter resort certainly in early Feb; train from here could take you to Alicante , or Benidorm ( if like skyscrapers on a sandy bay), or further up to Altea or Javea if time allows, I was happy just to stay and chill in the sun after the strains of hiking.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Hotels good, good food, comfortable, good views from both. Sella guesthouse run by an English couple, meals at their home, all home cooking, plentiful and yummy.
Only negative, was that the main photo in the Exodus brochure, which partly sold the holiday to me, taken from inside a cave , looking out over a bay, with 2 walkers in, and trailing ivy, you don't actually go here anymore, this is the Bernia ridge, so Exodus need to update their main photograph to reflect a landscape where visited now , I have plenty if they need some .
Enjoy.

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As part of Fred. Olsen Travel, one of the UK’s most established travel companies, Fred.\ Holidays provides outstanding customer service, choice and value for money through our six distinct specialisms. Bonded by the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) and by the Civil Aviation Authority’s Air Travel Organisers Licensing (ATOL) scheme, you can look forward to your next adventure with the peace of mind that your money is financially protected in the event of unforeseen circumstances.